Can Coenzyme Q10 raise my mother's ejection fraction?
There have been quite a few studies of CoQ10 and heart failure, but none of the best-designed ones have shown any benefit from this expensive treatment. Unlike CoQ10, many of the medicines prescribed for heart failure have shown clear benefits in prolonging survival, preventing hospitalization, and relieving symptoms.
We wouldn't recommend CoQ10, but if your mother decides to try it, she shouldn't stop taking her other medications. And if she's taking Coumadin (also known as warfarin), she should talk to her doctor because CoQ10 can interfere with that drug's effects.
You might want to remind your mother that the real goals of treating heart failure are to improve symptoms and prolong life. Although doctors prefer patients to have higher EFs, that's not actually a goal of treatment.
